St. Bill

Chapter 5

(Bill pov)

I sit on a bench looking over the garden as my mom sits in her wheelchair looking at the garden. I hand her the birthday card I picked out for her. "Happy birthday, mom."

Her feeble hands take the card from me. "Is it my birthday already? I could have sworn it was just yesterday."

"Birthdays be like that. They come and go at crazy fast paces."

She flips open the birthday card and she smiles as she reads it. "This is wonderful, Billy Bee."

"....what did you call me?" She looks at me confused like she doesn't know what I'm talking about. I get up and kneel down in front of her wheelchair, gently holding her hand in mine as I look up at her. "Mom, please, it's me. It's Bill, your son, your little Billy Bee. Please mom. Please, for once, know who I am.....please....."

She just looks more confused and as a nurse wheels her back to her roop I wipe my arm over my eyes to cover up the tears that had been stinging my eyes. This is hard. But I don't know what else to do. I know that I can't take care of her myself, that's why I had her put here on my 18th birthday last year when she could no longer recognize me.

I go back inside and into the conference room where Shirley, the lady who runs things around here, wanted to talk to me. I sit across from her at the table as she hands me a folder.

"Sunnyside isn't for everyone, Mr. Cipher. It's pricey and there are a lot more affordable health care options. Especially for someone as young as yourself."

"No. I want only the best for my mom and this place is the best there is." I open the folder seeing it's full of invoices, bills, and statements that I've struggled to pay.

This place is the reason I'm in so much debt, have loan sharks on my ass, and why I risk gambling. It's why my home life is shit. It's all just so I can try and afford my mom comfort in her last remaining years. I know her time is short but this is the best place for it.

"You're a month behind. We're not in the credit business, as you know."

"I am very well aware." I look at the numbers, doing the math quickly in my head already knowing that I'm fucked.

"So...."

"So what's that mean?"

"It means we need three months in advance and payment in full."

"Okay. I can get it together with enough time."

"By tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? No offense, but what the fuck?! Are you fucking serious? That's next to impossible!"

"We'll transfer her to wherever you put her."

"Put her. That's it. Or we get the boot? "

"That's not the best way to phrase this."

"Then what is?"

"It is what it is."

"That stupid saying is just your kind way of saying how fucking fucked I am." I get up leaving, one hand painfully clutch the bandage my bangs mostly hide, it hurting worse than usual today. Fuck this day sucks.

I go to the nurse station as Anna puts my mom's dirty laundry in the usual laundry basket for me to wash. "It's lighter than usual."

"She didn't change that much this week."

"Easier on my back then." I weakly joke as I take out a few crumple bills and hand them to her. "You think we can get some plants in her room? Just to lighten the place up a small bit?"

"I can get the concierge on it."

"Just whatever you think is best. I'm no florist."

"I'll see you soon, Bill." She walks away and I see a drawer full of different meds. I look around making sure no one is looking before I lean over taking as many of the pill bottles as I can hiding them in my jacket pockets before I pick up the laundry basket and walk out of there putting it back in my car before I drive off.

I pick up Pyronica from work and she is obviously pissed. "They no want me to work. No one likes the belly."

"We'll figure it out." I take out one of the pill bottles from my pocket. "You know anyone who would want to buy this stuff?"

"Maybe."

She has me park in a sketchy part of town and put the pills all in a paper bag. She takes them into a run down house. I tap my fingers on the sterring wheel nervously until she comes back over to the car holding the paper bag. "They sai $100 for whole bag."

"What? No way, I pay more than that for just one prescription." She takes the pill bottles out of the bag naming their use.

"Epilepsy. Prostate flaring. Shit softener."

"That last one should have some value."

"And for pissing harder."

"I'm not selling for less than $500. That stuff is top dollar."

"He says 100. Take it or leave it."

I sigh running a hand through my hair. "Fine. Take the hundred."

She goes back inside and comes back out with the money handing it to me.

I drop her off where she needs to go before I drive to the bank and go to the teller window.

"I need to make a withdraw from a joint saving account."

"How much sir?"

"What is the current balance?"

"$2,875."

"I'll take all of it."

She hands me the cash and I go to my car doing the math in my head. Even if I had gotten $500 for the meds, this isn't close to enough to keep my mom in that place. There is one last thing I can try although it's a very long shot.

I drive to the race tracks and use the 100 dollars to place a bet. I sit at the bar drinking a whiskey as the tv announcer comments on the race and I lose miserably.

I put my head in my hands fighting back tears. This can't be happening. I can't even afford to put her anywhere else even if I wanted to. I don't have the capabilities to take care of her all by myself, especially with Pyronica's baby coming soon. What the fuck am I going to do?

I go back to my car and drive home. I numbly go inside my house, only slightly surprised to see Zucko.

"You must think I'm not a very serious person, Bill."

"You seriously broke into my damn house?"

"Your back door was "ajar.""

"Bullshit. You have no right to be here. How the hell do you even know where I live?"

"You seriously think I don't research assholes who owe me."

Another guy walks into the room and I clench my fists tightly seeing the jewelry box he's going through.

"That's my mother's, you fucking son of a bitch." I grab the jewelry box yanking it away from him and hold it tightly to my chest, my head pounding and the wound under the bandage on my face hurting worse than ever.

"You always have to take the hard way, Bill. Why is that?"

"Makes life more interesting."

I clutch my head with one hand, wobbling slightly as I take a step back. I shake my head trying to clear it but it doesn't help. This isn't right.

My whole world goes dark and I feel my body crash to the floor hard.